Love Under Water

Stood Up!

I don’t remember ever driving as fast as I did to the hospital and I don’t remember when Ashton came along with me in the car. All I remember is my dad telling me that my mom had been taken to the hospital. I could have killed anyone who crossed my path and throughout the ride, Ashton didn’t utter a single word, knowing how tense I was. As soon as I arrive, I jump out of the car, leaving Ashton to park it. I see my dad pacing the corridors and run towards him.

“What happened to her? How is she now?” my palms are clammy from all the sweating.

“The doctor’s inside with her, when we brought her she was unconscious. Don’t worry, she’ll be fine.” Dad gives me a hug. I sit outside waiting with Dad, who keeps patting my leg, reassuring me that mom will be fine. I believe he is saying that to reassure himself more than me. Ashton brings coffee for the two of us when the doctor comes out after assessing mom’s condition.

“Hello, I’m Dr.Smith,” he shakes our hands, “We’ve run several tests on Mrs. Cavanaugh and after the CT Scan, we found a tumor in her brain which was the reason she collapsed. We will send in a neurologist who will guide you in a better way regarding her condition.”

His words feel like a sharp knife slashing through my heart. I hold onto my dad, who looks like he will collapse himself anytime now.

“Dr. my mom, is she conscious now?”

“Yes, she’s conscious and I haven’t told her anything yet. The decision to break this news lies with you. Our neurologist will be with you shortly.” He squeezes my shoulder and gives my dad a warm smile before leaving.

I take a deep breath and enter mom’s room with a smile plastered on my face, my dad follows behind. Looking at mom makes me emotional. She looks like she has aged twice her age in these couple of hers. She smiles at us but I can see the effort she has to put into it.

“Matt, honey, did they call you here as well? Now, Steven, you didn’t have to scare him. I just fell that’s all and I keep telling this to the doctors as well, but they want to run some more tests.” She looks so fragile and exhausted. My mom hates hospitals and the smell of medicine. She could never stand them. I remember my nanny or dad giving me my meds as mom couldn’t even tolerate the sight of them. Whenever my vaccinations were due she would have a panic attack as she loathed coming to hospitals. And now I have no idea how to tell mom about her condition.

“They just want to be sure before they let you go Mary. Now be a good sport and cooperate with them.” My father pats her hand lovingly. I’ve always enjoyed the love and care they both have for each other and wish to have the same for myself someday. Suddenly, I feel like the room is too small for me, so I excuse myself and come out.

“Hey man, how’s your mom now?” Ashton asks, concern etching his face.

“She still doesn’t know about the tumor. It felt suffocating inside. I don’t know how dad will break the news to her. I can’t see her like this.” I shake my head.

Ashton pats my shoulder, “Hey, don’t worry, she’ll be fine. Mrs. Cavanaugh is a strong lady.”

“Sometimes you manage to say the right words,” I mutter as I slump onto the nearest seat watching the never-ending rush of patients and visitors.

The neurologist arrives and I take her inside my mom’s room. Seems like dad has told her about her condition as he nods towards me and mom bore the news stoically. Throughout the briefing with the neurosurgeon, she is quiet and keeps staring into oblivion. Finally, when the doctor leaves, mom looks at me.

“Matt, you should go home now. It’s late.”

“Mom, I’ll stay here.” I insist.

“No, please go. I’ll be discharged tomorrow afternoon and your dad is here, so go home dear.” She raises a hand to stop me from any further argument.

I leave the hospital with Ashton, there is silence in the car. I drop him off at his place. Before closing the car door, he speaks up, “I guess you won't find your mystery girl now,” and he closes the door.

During the chaos, I had completely forgotten about her, about our meeting. She must be thinking that I stood her up.

Ariel’s POV

“I am telling you there was no one in the sauna, it was empty, completely empty.” Mia has stressed the word empty so many times now that I have lost count. She is pissed and so am I. What sort of a game is this guy playing with me? Now how in the world do I get my bracelet back?

“What if he was watching me from a distance and then laughing at me?” Mia is exasperated. “You can't imagine how long I waited in that sauna but no one came, it was empty.” Uh, again the word ‘empty’.

“Mia, you need to stop now. I get it we were stood up, but I don’t think the guy would be laughing at your expense. What would he gain by it in the first place? What if he couldn’t come for some reason?”

Mia folds her arms in front of her chest, “Fine, you can give him the benefit of the doubt but I won't. And your bracelet is still missing.” She reminds me.

I raise both my hands in defeat, “I know, I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt because I don’t want to feel hopeless. Wait, let's go to the library and leave a message in the book. He might read it.” I still have a glimmer of hope to find my bracelet.

“I don’t think it's of any use, but if the ever-optimistic Ariel thinks so, then let's do it.” I hear the sarcasm in her voice and I ignore it.

“Don’t worry, I’ll still do your assignment and why don’t you go to the café, I'll join you there.” I put an arm around her shoulder and squeeze it. She looks at me seriously, “Fine, but I hope you’re not disappointed again, this guy seems to be a player.”

“Go girl, I’ll join you.” And I push her in the other direction.

I don’t want to be disappointed either, but what other choice do I have? This is the only way to communicate with my secret kisser in order to get my bracelet. Now that I am alone, I get swarmed by all sorts of negative thoughts. If I never get it back, what will I tell my dad? He’ll be so disappointed in me. I take out the book from the shelf, erase the previous message in it and start writing a new one.

‘I waited but you didn’t show up. I really need the bracelet back. Will wait for you again tomorrow at the same place, same time.’

A

I close my eyes, praying that he sees my message and shows up tomorrow. It's my last chance. ‘Please, please see this,’ I whisper and put the book back in its place.

Once home, I am so preoccupied with my thoughts that I hardly communicate with my parents at the dinner table apart from the occasional yes and no. If they notice, they don’t ask thank god. I don’t even feel like studying. If I don’t find the bracelet, I will have to tell my dad eventually and he won’t be very happy about it. He got it from his savings. It was made out of white gold. First, watching Mr. swimmer and Valerie had taken a toll on my mood, and then Mr. kisser not appearing for the meeting had further plunged it. I decide it is no use wasting my time thinking with my books open in front of me. So I switch off the lights and go to sleep, thinking tomorrow is a new day.

Attending classes and listening to lectures feel like a struggle today, my brain shuts down, leaving me only with the thoughts of today’s meeting. Anxious, I am even more than I was yesterday. I continue tapping with my pen on my notepad and my feet keep tapping the floor. The guy next to me looks at me with suspicion.

“You wanna go to the loo?” he whispers.

“Huh, no why?” I give him a confused look.

“Then stop it with these tappings. I can’t concentrate.”

I want to retort but I don’t know what to say to him, so I just shut my mouth. After all the classes end, I inform Mia that I will be heading to the poolside but first I walk towards the library to check for the book. Keeping my fingers crossed, I take a deep breath, turn a corner and stand in front of the shelves filled with books. My hands swiftly move to the shelf containing books on architecture. Yup, the book is still there. I open it to see if something has been written inside. Nope, nothing at all. Just when I close it, a deep male voice speaks softly behind me,

“Will you be issuing that book?”

I swing around to find myself face to face with Matt Cavanaugh. s**t!